Virus Information

So just what is a virus? If you think a virus is just a program intended to damage your computer, you’d be mistaken. That would be malware (more or less.) When most people use the word, “virus,” in relation to their computer they are actually referring to malware. “Malware” is the all-encompassing term that involves viruses and spyware and such. Not to confuse the issue, but throughout most of this website when I say, “virus,” I am actually speaking of malware as well. I think for the person just trying to protect their computer they really don’t need to completely understand all of the terms and many won’t read this page anyway, so I just use “virus” the way most people would. That said, it helps to know before you start installing software to fight malware if that software is actually what you need. To best do this it certainly helps to understand the different types of malware.

Virus. A virus is a program that can copy itself and spread throughout the computer. It will attach itself to a program already on your computer and is generally made for the sole purpose of harming your computer. It can be helpful, especially if you are having a difficult time removing a virus, to determine what virus your computer is infected with to learn how to best eradicate it. Most viruses, however, can be quarantined or deleted by the better antivirus software.

Trojan Horse. A lot of times “trojan” is incorrectly used to mean “virus,” the way “virus” is used to mean “malware.” A trojan is a program that looks perfectly fine but is actually used for something other than what it pretends. A trojan may be used to send spam email or illegal files from your computer to other computers, or sometimes to store illegal documents on your computer rather than a hacker’s. Just so you’re aware, some trojans will copy themselves to an entirely different folder upon deletion.

Worm. This is similar to a virus but is usually designed to damage a network of computers. Worms generally won’t attack existing files on the computers. Although they can be built to take over a computer on a network, much like a trojan, they are usually designed to disrupt network operations more than the computers themselves.

Rootkits. These are complex programs and I barely understand them enough to explain them. What I can tell you about rootkits is that they are very hard to detect, very hard to stop, and can be very nasty. Rootkits often give a hacker undetected access to a computer any time he or she wants. Some software uses rootkit-like technology to keep itself from being turned off or damaged. For example, Kaspersky’s antivirus and parental control software cannot be turned off through your task manager. This technology is great when it is designed to protect your kids – but absolutely awful when your system is taken over by a criminal.

Crimeware. This is malware that specifically attempts to steal your identity or access your private accounts or information.

Conficker. Basically a worm, although it sort of acts like a rootkit and it has infected numerous personal computers as well as business networks. This may be the new biggest threat to your computer’s security. Here is an article I came across that highlights the threat of confickers and also exposes some scareware. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/60529

Scareware. It basically starts like adware, except it pops up windows that say things like, “your computer may be infected,” and entices you to click a link and download an antivirus program. Often these downloads are just more malware and should never be trusted. See the above link for a list of some known scareware.

Adware. Software that pops up a bunch of ads on your computer is Adware. You usually install it yourself, unknowingly, when installing other software or opening a .exe file. By the way, sometimes you can download what you think is a photo or movie and it is actually a .exe file. This type of file is always a program and you should not open one unless you know what it is and trust where it came from. At any rate, if you are noticing a lot more popups than you used to when you browse the internet you probably have some adware.

Spyware. I can pretty much guarantee your PC has or has had spyware on it. Most of the time spyware is simply there to tell the programmer what you do while browsing the internet, often coming in the form of a tracking cookie. If you bought a romance novel at Amazon and suddenly notice ads for romance novels popping up everywhere that you go on the web you’ve got spyware. Usually spyware is not terribly harmful, although it is annoying to know you are being spied on. More vicious spyware can log what you type and learn your passwords, which is why on-screen keyboards to type out sensitive information are becoming more common.

It used to be that antivirus software protected against viruses only. Antispyware software protected against spyware and usually adware as well. Often trojans could be detected by antivirus software but you would have to try to get rid of the trojan yourself unless you were lucky enough to come across the one out of hundreds of products that could remove it for you. Now days this is all pretty much behind us. The best antivirus softwares have really become antimalware so one great program should pretty much take care of you. I will be developing an antispyware page because it never hurts to have added protection or the ability to run a scan separately from your antivirus program, especially when many of the antispyware tools out there are still free.

I hope this general information will help you to find the more specific answers you need should your computer be infected by a virus you can’t get rid of. I would also strongly recommend visiting the Antivirus Reviews section of the site to find out what I recommend as the best tools to both protect your computer and eliminate viruses. If you’ve read enough for the day and just want to buy my highest recommended software, head over to ESET.com at the affiliate link below.